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Nine Years Apart: Friendship in the Making
Asher Segenam is a peculiar man. An oddity, so to speak. Upon his arrival to the guild, he was quick to not make many friends as he brazenly entered the Koma Inu grounds and sat himself down by their private pool despite not being an initiated member yet. His seemingly disrespectful attitude towards those of superior rank and authority only served to further distance him from the rest of the guild and his comrades. Not that he cared too much about that. He prefered the solitude. He liked being left to his own affairs and endeavours, and this wonderful day had provided him with just that opportunity. Most of his comrades had taken themselves on some apparently very well paying missions, leaving the guild hall mostly empty at this point, just a few stragglers here and there. The plump little man made his way towards the foyer room with the aim to get some peace and quiet. He slumped down on one of the couches, letting his frame sink into the plush pillows. I could get used to this...But I probably shouldn't. he thought. Asher took a bit of time to just lean back and try to figure out what to do next to pass the time, the thought of sleeping coming up more often than not. "What to do on this lovely morning..." He muttered out loud. His peaceful contemplation was interrupted by a rather dainty girl dancing through the door, her long brown hair swishing back and forth as she glances around the somewhat familiar guild hall. "Sister! I am seeking your companionship!" She giggled out, calling out her inside joke in the rather expansive room, it slightly echoing for the lack of ambient chatter that typically graced this group of people. She stopped near the center of the room, her shoulders dropping in confused defeat. She turned to see Asher slumped down in one of the couches and practically skipped over to him, bending at the hips to meet his gaze head on. She noticed his guild mark, and so knew that he meant no harm. "Excuse me, I am looking for my sister, have you seen here? Actually, have you seen anyone? This place is kinda dead..." Asher looked up towards the voice, his odd eyed gaze sweeping across her, trying to get a sense of her pressence as well as whom she could be. Within short of her question, he let out a wide grin "I know, isn't it wonderful?" he answered her. She looked like a quaint little girl, her brown eyes warm and welcoming. "I don't know if I've seen her. Never seen you atleast. Perhaps introductions are in order?" He said as he extended his hand towards her while remaining still in the couch, feeling just a bit too comfortable to actually get up. "Ello there, bud. Name's Asher. Asher Segenam." "Oh I apologize! How rude of me," she giggles as she stands straight up and extends her hand out for a handshake, "hello Asher, my name is Kalina. Kalina Inari. It is a pleasure to meet you." She smiles warmly as she shakes the hand of her new acquaintance, brushing back her hair in the process. "I guess I should have known that there would be some new faces in my sister's guild, it has been awhile since I visited... So have you seen Samarra? I wanted to surprise her today." "Oh? Not one of us dogs?" He asked as he sloly began to raise himself up. "You know, as you are not "one of us" and I have never met you before this point, any good guild member would probably keep such information away from you until I know more." He spoke, his voice growing serious, looking up at her with an empty look. "Perhaps I even ought to simply throw you out of here." Almost as soon as those words left his mouth, his eyes grew bright once more and his mentally challenged hyena smile returned to his features. "Then again, I'm not good. Decent at best. I'll let you hang around here until further notice. Your sis is out on guild business... Or was it a mission?... I dunno, something along those lines at least." Kalina was a bit taken aback by the fluctuating demeanor and tone from the man in front of her. What a strange guy... I guess this is what I get for not calling Sama first... She thought to herself as she took a small step back. "Well that's a shame that she is out, guess I will wait around until she gets back... well if that is ok with you?" She asks with a raise of her eyebrow. "And no, I am not one of you lion dogs. I am a member of Archer's Cross, one of the other guilds in the alliance my sister has formed. So there isn't really any need to throw me out; I assure you I have no ill intent. Just wanted to see my sister is all..." She huffs, plopping down in a chair across from him. She crosses her arms over her chest, as if it would help close her off from the "decent" man. Asher didn't let go of her with his gaze until she sat herself down. He leaned back down in the couch, trying to get comfortable, but the very presence of that woman seemed to keep hims teadily awake, with no tiredness in sight. He let out a small, inaudible sigh. "You want a drink or something while you wait? I could go with a Bonetousle. It really gets under the skin, if you know what I mean." "Uhh, I don't...I don't know what you mean..." Kalina stutters out, shifting in her seat a bit. She was a bit thrown off by Asher's headstrong, abrasive nature; somethings she wasn't used to seeing someone of this nature inside the Koma Inu walls. His nature was somewhat intriguing though, and so she attempts to start idle chit chat with this odd, blunt man. "So, uh, how long have you been part of the guild?" "Oh, you know, not that long. Just a few days if I am not mistaken. Me and two friends of mine entered here and applied for the role as mages of Koma Inu. Or well, they applied, I asserted." he spoke with a grin before he called out to the bar. "Hey! Two of my special please! That's Bonetousle's if you have forgotten!" "So anyway, we got here in search of a new place to stay. as well as finding new purpose to our lifes. Carwen hoped that she would find a better understanding of herself here. I think Hotoke joined for similar reasons. They are quite silly for being dragon slayers. It was quite a joy to see a certain someone's reaction to seeing Hotoke though. I swear that he was about to jump out of his feathers!" he said and chuckled at the memory. "So how about you, Kalina? How's Archer's Cross?" 'Oh only a few days? Well from what I have heard, my sister's guild has a lot of wonderful people; I have come to know a few as well and they are wonderful." Kalina says with a smile, slowly letting down her arms with the man's more friendly tone starting to surface. "And find your purpose, huh? That's a big request of a guild, don't you think? But Archer's Cross is well... a bit like how you see it here now." Kalina says as she looks around at the near empty space. "It is rather small and empty at times, but the people there are vibrant souls that I have come to know. I hope to one day become an S Class mage for my Master." Asher shrugged. "I guess that it is, but it seems to be going well. I haven't seen Carwen smile this much since ever. Your sister's guild does us a world of good, bud. And S-Class? I hope that turns out well for you. I love seeing people succeed in their goals and ambitions. That and and telling bad jokes." He spoke. He was just about to say something once more when something came into his view which made his smile grow ever bigger. The bartender, who's name he had yet to remember, came towards them and placed the two drink on the table and made his way back to his position. Asher got up from his laying position and took hold of the two drinks, the left one which he held towards Kalina. "Care to join me? It's surprisingly pleasant. The Bonetousle's have a habit of making you weak in the knees and shivery though, just as a warning." Kalina takes the drink cautiously, giving it a slight sniff before taking a sip. Her lips pucker as she shakes her head a bit, not used to drinking an alcoholic drink, as she was never one for anything other than wine. "Sorry, it's good; I'm just not used to mixed drinks." Kalina laughs a bit. I don't think I should really be drinking something that makes me 'weak in the knees' with a man I just met. And a rude one at that, I never even said I wanted a drink. And 'bud'?! Who calls a girl 'bud'?! What a weirdo... Maybe I'll just pretend to drink it; yeah, that'll work. She thinks to herself as she brings it back up to her lips, keeping them firm on the glass, causing the liquid to brush up against her skin only to fall right back into the glass. "Well Mr. Bad Jokes and Bonetousle, do you have an end goal in mind? Or just in it for the fun?" Kalina asks, wanting to carry on the idle small talk for fear of what the silence may bring up in Asher's mind. Asher's gaze softened as those words left her mouth. "Heh, Just the fun, I suppose? I sort of gave up on my ambitions some time ago. Lost my spark, ya know?" With these words he swung down the drink to his gullet, swallowing the full contents in one. His whole body began to shiver and he suddenly seemed imblanced. He got down on the couch once more, but maintained an angle where he still kept Kalina in clear view. "I kind of figured... Nah, never mind me. I'm just a stick in the mud right now... I should do something about that. Tell me about yourself, Kalina. The way I acted was well deserved of a foreigner. A stranger. So let's change who I am talking to. From a stranger to an acquaintance. Sounds good?" He said, and before she had any chance to answer him back, he proceeded with: "What do you do for fun? I've got my Pun-nominal jokes and these tousle's. What about you?" Kalina is amazed at his ability to toss back the drink as if it was water, so she holds her glass up with a raised eyebrow towards him, silently offering him her drink. His words strike something within her, making her a bit discontent that someone had lost their ambition and drive. It reminded her of a darker time in which she had given up on herself, woefully allowing herself to be pulled into a black void of nothingness. She too had lost her spark once, but because of the help of her friends and family she was able to get it back. Perhaps that's why Asher was here, so that the same friends that saved her, could save him...maybe she could be part of that... Kalina shakes her head at the thoughts of time's past, realizing she only caught the last few bits of what Asher was saying. "Oh...uh, for fun? Um I guess I enjoying training? It's more of something that has been engrained in me though from my family. But I really enjoy reading! It has a way of transporting you away from the worries and stresses of this life and immerse you in a completely different universe. A universe where your mind can run free and paint faces and landscapes from the symbols on a page; where magic can happen without the need to cast a spell... It's just something so beautiful that you can't help but find a new part of yourself in the words of another, ya know? It's som--oh, I'm sorry, it's rude of me to ramble." she nervously laughs out, casting her gaze down, as her slightly curled hair falls to cover blushed cheeks. Asher noticed her small hints and gladly accepted the drink. He had sort of intended it to turn out this way to begin with anyway. He began to slowly gulp down the heavy drink while Kalina rambled on about her love for books and reading. It was quite charming in Asher's opinion. Despite that he lacked the same qualities, he utterly loved to hear people talk about their own passions. The way she described her interest in the world of make belive, ink and paper was trully fascinating. He almost got a bit disapointed when she stopped. "You have quite the way to express yourself, Kalina." he said with a toothy smirk. "What is your favorite genre? I have quite the liking to books that describe magic in it's many varieties. More than that, I also love the kind of books which succeed to make you feel and relate and love a character in the books as if they were people you knew in real life." Kalina returned his smirk with a half grin of her own, a slight blush still on her cheeks from the compliment. She found it odd that he said he liked to read as well, as for some reason she got the vibe that he would use the book for more of a pillow than a source of knowledge. Thinking hard on the question posed to her, she begins to speak, "Well I personally enjoy both romance and fantasy novels. Fantasy because, when it's done right, it can make you believe in an impossible idea. Helping you get lost among the stars that you would never be able to touch from down here on earth. And for romance...well... I guess that makes you believe in the impossible too," she giggles out, brushing her hair behind her ear as she sits more comfortably in the chair, "Having that ability to know that when you lock eyes with someone, that your souls become connected and you can just tell you're going to spend the rest of your life with them. That they know just the right things to say and do to make your heart flutter; and that someone is out there who truly understands us to our core and can sing us the song that our heart sings when we begin to forget the lyrics..." She tilts her head as she laughs through a wide smile that makes her eyes squint, as she says, "I guess I like the impossible, huh?" She turns her body to face Asher more head on, crossing her legs out in front of her as she leans in slightly towards him. "Alright Asher, I've let you peek inside my head, now it's only fair you let me see inside yours. That's what acquaintances do, right?" She beams with a toothy grin, knowing that her question was rhetorical. Asher let out a hearty chuckle. "You had me until the songs of our hearts. Even so, it's a nice and downright sweet prospect. I wouldn't say no to something like that. Anyway, yes, you would be correct. Well... I don't know. There's really not that much to tell. I haven't been the most socially active guy, so I don't have many stories to tell, nor do I have many hobbies. I just don't have the motivation to try something new. However, if we stick to the topic of books, then it might be a bit fun to know that I used to do some writing. I always wanted to be a creator in some shape or form, whether it be making a fictional world, drawing something, or even better, discover a new form of magic. I wrote countless novels and poems in my youth, and threw away just a many. My favorite was one based on a game that me and my sister used to play outside. Running through the woods, pretending to fight monsters while also taming them, fighting the forces of evil while also sometimes being the force of evil. It was good times. Simpler times, and boy oh boy did I have a blast writing it in all our unrestrained fantasy." "You used to write? Does that mean you don't do it anymore?" Kalina inquired, drawn to the creative outlets in others, always fascinated by the things people could create. Whether that be in writing, painting, sculpting, or even expression in dancing, they would always catch her eyes and make them shine with wonder. She gave a soft smile towards the man who was starting to open up, the rude and headstrong demeanor she saw earlier starting to peel back to reveal something...well something she was curious to see about. "That is a shame, because I would love to read of of your fantasy adventures with your sister. Are you guys close with one another?" "I would like to think so." He spoke. The words hinted towards insecurity and possibly disappointment or sadness, yet his voice nor his grin would reveal any such dispositions. He thought back to his sister, thinking about the last time he saw her. Her dyed scarlet red hair, her faked tough personality and her cheery nature once one got through all the stubborness. "I haven't seen her in years now. I've kept in touch with her to the best of my abilities, yet her responses are getting fewer and further in between. Claims that she is busy. I've tried to arrange a meeting, but I can apparently not go to her and she is "incapable" of coming to me... I hope she comes to her senses soon. We need to stick together. All of us." His eyes widened as he said this, catching himself with what he is saying. He shook his head, as if to shake out all the memories and thoughts regarding his sibling. "Well, if you want to read the book for what it's worth, I should have it lying around here somewhere. Don't expect quality out of it though. There is only so far an untrained 15 year old's mind can enhance a childhood game. It's not finished, but about 3/4 of it is completed. And no, I don't write anymore. Much like other things, lost the drive for it. That and I don't actually remember much of our games after the point where I ended." Kalina cast her eyes downward, it was clear to her that Asher cared deeply for his sibling, yet those feelings had no substance to hold on to, what with the seemingly continuous rejection of his attempts at outreach. As awful as it seems, it actually made her rather thankful for the bond she had between her own family. Sure, one of her brothers was off in another country, but they wrote frequently. And her other siblings were all only a train ride away. "I'm sorry to hear that Asher, I wish the best of luck in getting back into contact with your sister; she seems very important to you..." She said softly, not knowing wet it was her place to console him or not. His mention that he was still in possession of his book definitely peaked her interest, as a person's writing is a reflection of their soul, and she was beginning to be more and more curious as to what had shaped the man before her. "Well I wouldn't want to impose on you and your personal privacy, but I would love to read it some time if you happen to find it." She says with a gracious smile cast his way. Asher's smile changed. Not by much, but enough ot be noticable. It was a slight bit wider, toothier, yet somehow more relaxed, softer and friendly. Exactly how he managed it is up for debate, but whaat transpired next was something quite odd. Asher snapped his fingers as he leaned back with his head. When nothing happened his expression changed into a frown as he looked down upon his belt. The belt was donned with nine animalistic skulls which many assume was simply a plastic decoration or something of the sort, yet as he tapped one of the skulls, the sockets sprung to life with a dim blue glow and began levitating in front of Asher and growing in size. He snapped his fingers once more and pointed towards a hallway which would lead to the library. It dashed away according to his command as he turned his attention back towards Kalina. "Seith Magic: Human possession. Makes for handy assistants. The book should be here within short." He spoke. A thought then struck him. Nothing too important, more just out of curiosity. "You said that you train often. You are also a member of a guild, so I can only assume that you are efficient with a magic or two. Care to share what you are capable of?" "Wow that's incredible! I have never seen a Mage with that magic before! Is that the same type of magic where you can possess things like dolls and stuff?" Kalina inquires, a bit more happy to see this relaxed side of Asher. He didnt seem as abrasive as before, and seemed to be a bit more natural in his mannerisms and speech. Kalina takes in his question about her own magic and what she has to offer her own guild, and decides on a clever way of showing him as well. She lets out a very coy smile, along with a giggle, as she slides to the end of her chair and outstretches her hand with her finger pointed at Asher's face. She could see him recoil a bit as her finger inched closer to his nose, but this only made her lean closer until she was finally able to touch him. She lets out a very small shock of electricity that sends a shiver through out Asher's body. Kalina leans back in her chair with a fun laugh at the expression on the man's face. "I figure it would be more fun to show you! I have an affinity for lightning magic. I also happen to be a lightning dragon slayer because of..well...thats a story for another time. I also have gotten pretty good at Sound Magic, although I definitely need to practice that more. Do you know any other style of magic besides seith?" Kalina asks with vested interest as they wait for the spirit to return with Asher's book. Asher expression was indeed one worthy of the caused mirth with the lass. Shortly after, Asher's expression returned to it's ordinary state as he let out a little chuckle. "Lightning, eh? I like that." He spoke. "It's not the easiest element to master, so you ought to have some considerable skill, especially if you're a dragon slayer as well. As for me, my magic is not quite as fancy and... Shall we say traditional, as some of yours." Asher said as he raised his two hands upwards with his palms aiming up. In his right hand, he conjured up a set of miniature bones, a small orb of blood and a lump of flesh. In his left hand he created a twisting shadow. However, this shadow was quite unlike anything Kalina had ever seen before. This shadow almost seemed like it carried a solid, almost flesh-like form. This thick, oily and fleshy shadow seemed to reach out towards Kalina, but something told her that it was not of Asher's own volition. As it reached for her, she could hear sounds, almost too quiet to make out, but one sound stood out to her. Or rather, a word: Kalina. This word goaded her on to reach out for the shadow, tempted to do so, but she knew better than to trust this foreign substance, much less touch it. And with a swipe of the hands, the substances were gone. "Lich magic and Essence of the Void. Two most unorthodox magics which has received little to no attention, and thus were undeveloped. Beyond those, I also possess Vampire Magic which allows me to toss people around like rag dolls... I sound so edgy in my magic choices right now..." Kalina's face is swirling with emotions of both fear and interest, baffled by the display of such unique magic. "I have never seen anything quite like that before...how did you come about learning such underdeveloped magic?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrow. She had become surprising interested in this man, what with the new turn of events in discovering his magic, and found herself wanting to know a bit more about both the magic and the man who wielded it. She glanced down at her watch, subconsciously checking the time, as she knew her sister was never gone from the guild for long. But she checked it more so to discover the amount of time she had left in the day to learn more about the fascinating soul she happened to run into. She let out a small laugh and a bright smile, "You know, with the combination of magics you have; with the souls, flesh and blood, and whatever that odd shadowy substance was, it kinda reminds me of the Grim Reaper. Quite the powerful man you are!" Asher began to chuckle, a chuckle which then morphed into outright laughter. "Oh god, please no!" He howled. "That idea is such a cliché, one which is the dream of every emo lad out there!" His laughter began to die down. "Just wait until you see the Lich Stage, let's see what you think then." At last he had fully calmed down, his laughter little more than a soft and muffled chuckle. "Anyways, Lich Magic and Void Magic are of two very different origins. Lich Magic is something my father taught me, along with all of it's practices and beliefs. Many of which I did not buy into, but they proved interesting none the less. My father pretty much pioneered the magic whilst I perfected it. Not much work, just a few tid bits here and there. Essence of the Void... I'll borrow a few words from your book and say that that is a story for another time." He spoke as he looked down to his palms where the substances had once hovered. "You should have seen me in my youth. I could not wait to add my piece to the magical history books as the one who had elevated Lich magic to a new stage, as well as demonstrate my discovery of the Void. I was such a gleeful little runt who anticipated great praise." His voice grew a bit dimmer and less cheery, yet he still managed to maintain a sense of happiness. "But all I was met with was scorn. Understandably of course, Lich Magic was apparently a forbidden art, one which my father had not been permitted to teach me. They were quick to brand the void as dark and forbidden magic as well." He looked up to see Kalina's expression, and it was one he had anticipated. She looked even more frightened than previously. Far more in fact. A natural reaction as the council do not just go about and forbids magic on the fly unless there is good reason to do so. "No need to worry yourself, Bud. They let me off since I had learned these things prior to their discovery of it. That and since I was a little child who didn't know any better. They have allowed me to continue utilizing these magics for as long as I avoid certain practices they teach and as long as I deliver new finds to them for evaluation. If I can follow these restrictions and arrangements, my practice is entirely legal, much like my buddy Hotoke... For now at least." Bud..? Bud? Wow I feel like a child now... and of course I have to go and ask something that makes him a bit sad; way to go Kalina. Making a fool of yourself like usual... Kalina thinks to herself as she shifts uncomfortable in her chair, unsure of how to approach this situation. "I'm really sorry I asked...I didn't know it was forbidden and such like that. I didn't mean for you to relive that experience." She says with a bow of her head to hide her embarrassing blush. "Well I do wish you the best of luck in finding new information about the power you have." "No need to worry yourself about such matters, I mean, everything turned out well, didn't it? I can continue with my magic and I'm not in prison. I'd call that a success." He said and raised his empty glass towards the roof in a solo toast. Despite his apparent happy attitude, the luster wasn't there in him anymore. "There isn't much left to report to them after 20 years of... Shall we say service? But i thank you for your encouragement none the less" It was then that he looked towards the hallway to which he sent his Ghast Blaster. He seemed a bit absent minded, but then he suddenly clapped his hands as the Ghast returned, book in maw. "Glorious! Give it here!" He exclaimed as the skull put the binding of papers in his right hand. He then tapped the skull with his left hand, prompting it to return to it's spot on his belt. Asher opened up the book at a random page and the reaction was instantaneous. He closed the book and began to bang his head against it. "It is even worse than I remember it. I hope that you are not prone to headaches, cause this might be a doozy." He spoke and handed over the book to Kalina. if she opened it she would quickly take notice of multiple spelling and grammatical errors. Still, it was a feasibly large book, about 200 pages worth of content. "Good luck reading that." he said with a humorous scoff. "I assure you I will get no such thing; I told you I enjoying reading," Kalina says with a smile as she takes hold of the mage's personal book. Opening the collection of stories she smiled at the peek into Asher's soul, closing it as she heard the guild door close behind her. Turning around to see the familiar face of her sister bounding through the door with a wide grin as the two make eye contact. Kalina gets up swiftly and crushes her sister in a large hug as she tells her sister of her surprise visit. Kalina turns to Asher, the book held tightly across her chest as a token of their newfound friendship. She stammers a bit, "So Asher, um my sister and I are going to go out for lunch; but I would love to have the chance to read your book. Perhaps I can meet you again some time to return it..?" She said with a pleading gaze, bending her knees slightly as she gives a cheesy smile. "Certainly. Take your time and see if you find anything to enjoy. And if I want it back," he began as he pointed towards Samarra. "I can just ask her to retrieve it. You'll do that for me, won't you, master?" He asked with a cheeky grin. Before she had the opportunity to answer, Asher rose up, a bit wobbly at first. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a plate of bonetousle's to down to forget my awful writing. Until next time, Miss Kalina." he said as he walked over to the bar, retrieved his drinks and too his leave.